


Someday We’ll All Be Gone, But Lullabies Go On And On...

by JuniperLemon



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Caring Steve, Established Relationship, Love, M/M, Sick Steve, childhood steve, flashback to childhood, lullaby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22442311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuniperLemon/pseuds/JuniperLemon
Summary: Tony is adamant that he isn’t tired. Steve has a trick he learnt from his mom to help sooth him to sleep.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 57





	Someday We’ll All Be Gone, But Lullabies Go On And On...

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly inspired by that scene from Frozen 2 with the mom.

“I can’t believe you dragged me to bed mid-project. Even Bruce agreed it still needs to be stabilized!” Tony moaned as he changed into his pyjamas and climbed into his huge bed. Despite his protests, dark circles had stained the skin under his eyes and he had begun to yawn every 5 minutes like clockwork.

Steve climbed in next to him and huffed a laugh, “Bruce will agree to anything when you flash those crazy eyes at him.”

“Even so. I’m not tired. Just you wait and see!” He huffed as he pulled the duvet up under his chin. The genius snuggled down further and Steve couldn’t help but laugh at how much he became a petulant toddler when he was tired.

“I think I know something that’ll do the trick.” He only received a sceptical look in response.

Steve snuggled close to his partner and told him to close his eyes. The genius made a lewd comment before obeying but Steve elected to ignore him. The soldier gently touched his finger to the tip of Tony’s nose and gently brushed it up along the bridge and just past the place where the eyebrows nearly met. Without stopping, he passed back down again. It was a slow, lazy pace that Steve knew so familiarly. Just the action alone took his mind back his his sick childhood when his mother would spend hours soothing him back to health.

After a couple of strokes, he began to hum a gentle lullaby he remembered from his childhood. He had never managed to find the name of the song or even the words as that secret had passed with his mother. Instead, throughout his whole life, he simply hummed the simple tune to himself in times of stress.

He continued gently passing his finger up and down the bridge of the nose.

Stark’s dissentful grumbling slowly dissipated. His breathing evened out and became regular and deep. Shoulders also felt the calming effect as they unwound and relaxed against the plush pillows. He hummed contentedly.

Steve continued humming the tune and soothing for long after Stark had slipped into sleep but he enjoyed the gentle motion and the familiar sound. However, after a while he grew sleepy so rested his head on Tony’s shoulder and feel asleep within minutes.

———

December 1931

The cough was thick in Steve’s throat and it rocked his whole body when he tried to dislodge it. He coughed until the taste of blood warned him of the dangers of continuing. Red faced and exhausted, he laid back against his single pillow. His mother’s cold hand felt his forehead for temperature before tucking the scratchy blanket up until it tickled under his chin. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that the scratchy fibres made him want to cough.

His mother sat on the floor with her arms on the edge of his bed. She leant up to him and gently placed her finger on the tip of his nose. With featherlike touch she drew an invisible line towards his forehead. Steve sighed as he always found it the most soothing when her finger passed over his brow-line. Probably because it often helped soothe his headaches or fevers as her handed were usually chilly. He hummed as sleepiness overcame him.

She continued as she sang,

“ _Over in Killarney, many years ago_  
_My mother sang a song to me in tones so soft and low_  
_Just a simple little ditty in her good old Irish way_  
_And I'd give the world if I could hear that song of hers today_  
_Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral_  
_Too-ra-loo-ra-li_  
_Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral_  
_Hush now, don't you cry_  
_Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral_  
_Too-ra-loo-ra-li_  
_Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral_  
_That's an Irish lullaby”_

Steve was sound asleep and his mother leant across to leave a kiss on his warm brow. Little did she know that her lullaby, which she sang every time her child was sick or sleepless, would ingrain itself so thoroughly into Steve’s consciousness that she would always be with him even 90 years later.

**Author's Note:**

> I know that this lullaby is really famous so Steve would easily find it but let’s pretend it isn’t :)


End file.
